Twenty-Something
by propertyofjanerizzoli
Summary: Jane and Maura attempt to plan a wedding and a life for themselves all while trying to avoid the quarter-life crisis.


**A/N: I haven't seen much twenty-something Rizzles so I thought it'd be fun to write something about them during that phase of their lives. Any input is welcomed. :)**

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A year had passed since Jane's life changed forever after entering a BCU coffee shop one evening when she was off-duty. She was supposed to meet a friend from high school who was now a law student, but when that friend cancelled on her via text message as Jane was already parked near the coffee shop, she decided to go inside, regardless.

She felt out of place around the coffee shop patrons comprised mostly of BCU students and faculty, some with laptops or books and others talking to friends or members of their study group. She saw undergraduates wearing sorority sweatshirts and bright smiles and stressed out grad students who looked as if they were questioning why they chose to continue their education past their undergraduate degree.

Under different circumstances, BCU could have been her school. She was one out of only five students from her senior class to get accepted, but it was money that prevented her from attending. As a private school, BCU cost over thirty thousand dollars a year in tuition, another ten or fifteen thousand if Jane wanted student housing and, with another two kids to support, and a mortgage payment, Jane just couldn't ask that from her father. Although there were grants and loans available, her dad made too much for her to qualify for full financial aid but not enough for him to afford the private loan payments that he'd have to pay if Jane attended BCU so she chose not to attend without telling him that she had been accepted.

She could have also attended a public university, but instead Jane chose the community college route and fast-tracked her way toward the police academy and was already working for the Boston PD before she would have had her Bachelor's degree had she chosen the four-year college route. At 24, Jane had her dream job, was free of student loan debt and even had a place of her own, which is more than she could say for most of her friends who were students at different graduate and professional schools in Boston. She wasn't living a life of luxury, but she felt as if she had everything she wanted until she walked into that coffee shop.

There she was, a worn-out young woman fast asleep at one of the tables with her head on top of her medical school textbooks with her phone and laptop completely unattended. Jane knew it wasn't unlikely for electronics to get stolen from a coffee shop and, when an undergrad had his eye on her phone, Jane hurried over to her table instead of sitting at a nearby empty table. Jane left only to order her coffee, but even when she was at the counter her presence at the coffee shop was intimidating and now that she had made it known that she was watching over this girl, all eyes were off her table and her belongings.

Jane played games on her phone and sent text messages while watching over her, but after an hour passed, and she still hadn't woken up Jane began to wonder what she should do next. She wanted to save her the embarrassment of being woken up, but at the same time she didn't want her to wake up and be shocked to see someone sitting across from her. Either way, Jane had a feeling this woman would think the situation was creepy, so she decided to wait it out and let her wake up on her own; that is, until she noticed her start to drool on her book. Jane didn't want to shake her, so she hoped a quick but gentle nudging of her foot would suffice.

Although Jane's nudging was gentle, the young woman woke up startled and accidentally knocked her coffee cup off the table and onto the floor. She was still in a daze, so Jane rushed to the counter to grab some napkins and wipe the floor for her. Not much had spilled, but the whole situation embarrassed her and she apologized profusely to Jane regardless of how many times she reassured her that it was okay.

"I shouldn't have startled you. You were asleep and I didn't want anyone stealing your stuff, so I decided to watch over you…in a way," Jane said, feeling less confident than she was the woman smiled, it was all over for Jane. The always-confident Officer Rizzoli had become a smiling, blushing mess. "I'm Jane."

"My name is Maura," she responded. "Can I buy you another cup of coffee?"

"No, you don't have to. I'm sure you have some studying to do," Jane told her, although she wanted nothing more than to spend time with Maura now that she was actually awake.

"It's my pleasure," Maura insisted. "I need a break from studying besides that nap."

Jane had expected them to drink their coffee and go their separate ways after briefly engaging in small talk, but instead they stayed until the coffee shop closed three hours later. Maura asked her about being a police officer and Jane asked her about medical school and what her plans were for after graduation. Maura was as passionate about her career path as Jane was about hers and Jane found it fascinating to hear Maura talk about her experiences in medical school. When the conversation shifted to the more trivial details like their favorite movies and favorite ways to spend their spare time (when they had any), Jane still held on to every word Maura said and, when Maura touched her hand as they talked, she wondered if she was feeling the same connection she was.

Their night ended with them exchanging phone numbers and promising to meet up again the next time their schedules would allow it. When Jane returned to her apartment and looked at Maura's name in the contacts section of her phone, she began to worry that what happened between them would be a one-time encounter, but before she could settle in, she received a text message from Maura thanking her for such a great evening, which soon led to a slew of small talk and flirtations via text message.

Jane had met the woman who would eventually become her girlfriend and, although a year had passed, Jane was still finding new reasons to fall in love with her each day.


End file.
